Plant-protector.



G. T. WELLS,

PLANT PEOTEGTOR. APPLICATION LED JUNE 16, 1909.

Patented July 5, 1910.

GEORGE E. WEEEEZ, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS.

rxnnnrnnrso'ron,

Patented J rally 5 ltihhdt 3 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1,6, 190%). Serial No. 502,627.

To all'whom it may semen-1 Be it known that I, Gnonon 'l. WnLLs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the count ofScdgwick and State-of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Plant-Protectors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to and more es ing young plant protectors, orallyto a device for protectp ants from the sun in the heat of the day andfrom frost at night, and my object is to roduce a rotector which willperform its unctioue cientl? and'rehably in windy as well asjcaln weaticr and wh ch is susceptible of being adjusted to ex 050 the plantsfully 'to the air tt one side w rile protecting them, a the other.

A. further object is to produce a protector which can be colla sed orfolded into a small and compact pac age for convenience of storage andin securing, it in or withdrawing it from position.

Ant-ill further object is to produce a protector otsimple,

strong, durable and cheap construction.

v tent V-shapcd in cross section and Y at suitable'mtervals near itsmargins with With these objects in view, and others as. hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features ofconstruction and orgahization as hereinafter described may be fullyunderstood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a protector embodying my invention,arranged in operative position and broken away to expose a protectedplant. Fig. 2, is an enlarged cross sectionon the linelL-H of Fig. 1.Fig. 3, is a detail view of a moditied form of 'one of the framesforming a part of the protector;

In the said drawing, 1 indicates a strip of canvas, duck or otherfabric, waterproof or not as required, adapted when in operativeposition to be arranged in the form of a long provided eyelets 2,preferably of metal, and along its center or ridgeiine with eyelets 3preferably of metal, each eyelet 3 being transversely alined with a pairof eyelets 2. It is also provided at the extremities of its longitudinalcenter with similar eyelets so that the end portions of the fabric mayform end walls of the protector.

The frames 5 are of arch form, being prefand claimed; and in order thatit .so as to stiffen the frame at such points.

The upper ends of portions 7 are connected by upwardly-projecting loops9. In Fi 3 which is Lhe cheaper and pro ably wea her type of frame, theloops 10, at the junction of the portions 6 and 7 are open asdistinguished from, the closed loops 8 Figs. 1. and 2, though the lattershow as closed loops clearly only in the last-named figure,

The fabric or tent portion of the PIC?" tector is secured to the framesby slip ,in the eyelets 3 over loops 9 and the eyelets 2-- in transversealinenient with the eyelets 3 engaging loops 9,over the loops, 8 01' 10.as the case may be, of the corresponding frames. By this arrangement itwill be seen tliiltt the fabric in theplanes of said,

frames, is stretched to inverted \l-shaped form. When, not in use theintervening portrons or stretches of the fabric can be collapsed orfolded so that the frames can be starting at. one end of the row, forcesthe portions or anchors 6 of the first frame own into the ground, atopposite sides of the first lant.' He then unfolds or pays out the'abric to the second frame and anchors that to the ground in the samemanne'r, repeating the operations described until the opposite end ofthe protector is reached. The; end portions of the protector hang downadjacent to the endmost frames, but if desired these end portions can bestretched downward and outward to form end wallsand pe s or anchors 11forced .into the ground tir'ough the eyelets 4 to secure suchend wallsin place. To permit air to circulate around the plants the iirames aresecured to the ground so as to leave an air-space between the same andthe'side edges or margins of the protector, as shown clearly. If it isdesired to give the plants more air and light, one'side of the fabricportion of the protector may be partly or wholly disengaged from thecorrespondin loops 8 or 10 as the casemay be and folded back over theother side as will be readily understood and as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2. To remove the protector, the operator disengages itfrom the peg 11 at i one end, if so secured, and pulls up theadjacentend frame and collapses or gathers up the stretch of fabricbetween sald frame and the second frame. He lhen'pulls the second framefrom the ground, and re eats the operations described until all 0 theframes have been. withdrawn from the ground and the intermediateportions or stretches of the fabric are in folded or 001- lapsedcondition. The protector ma then be laid away for future service. Ifesired the fabric portion of the protector may be ,Of t" terproofmaterial or made waterproof by oiling or otherwise,

From the above description it will be appare't that I have produced aplant'protector embodying the features of advantage enumerated in thestatement of the object of the invention, which is susceptible ofmodification in minor articulars without de arting from the spirit andscope or sacr' cin any of the advantages of the appended: claims.

'Havin thus described the invention what I c aim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is;

1. A lant' protector comprising a plu-- rality 0 frames to be forceddown into the ground arid embodying arched; upper portions, and a stripof fabric fitting over said frames and detachably connectedat points inits longitudinal center to the central portions of .said frames andalong and near its side margins to said frames adjacent to the ground.

2. Aplant protector, comprising a plurality of frames to be forced'downinto the ground and embodying arched upper portionse'qui ped withloops attheir highest points an with loops at opposite sides of.

eeaoee and below the horizontal plane of said firstnamed loo s, and astrip of fabric fitted over said rame and provided with a longitudinalseries of eyelets to engage the firstnamed loops of the frames and withseries of eyelets near its side margins to'engage the loops of theframes at opposite sides of tl1e. first-named loops. I

3. A plant protector, comprising a plurality of framesto be forced downinto the ground and embod 'ing arched upper portions equipped wit loopsat their highest points and with loops at opposite sides; of and belowthe horizontal plane ofsaid firstnamed loops,-ia strip of fabric fittedover said frame and provided with a longitudinal series of eyelets toengage the firstnamed loops of the frames and with series of eyeletsnear its side margins to engage the loops of the frames at oppositesides of the first-named loops, and means for securing the ends of thefabric to the ground at a point between and beyond the endmost frames toprovide end walls for the protector.

" 4. In a device of the character described,

a frame made from a single piece of Wire, comprising an arched upperportion consisting of 'upwardly-converging portions, portions extendingdownward from the lower ends of said converging portions, loops formedat the junction of said converging,

and downwardly-extending portions an extending upwardly and outwardly,and loops formed at the junction of the'upper ends of theupwardlyconverging portions; said last named loops being of invertedU-form.

